Billed as a "narrative adventure in which players explore a rustic twilight world where modern life mingles with real and imagined folklore", The Edgelands is the debut game from independent outfit Marshlight Software that was part-financed by Failbetter's fundbetter initiative. It's a strange game, but an intriguing one and while its creators suggest it references Infocom era interactive fiction, there's some strong hints of Kentucky Route Zero's eccentricity in there too.
Which, if you've followed my writing over the past several months on PC Gamer, you'll know suits me nicely. Despite kicking off with the tired amnesiac protagonist trope, The Edgelands soon opens up its dream-like world, where its woodland landscapes are as unsettling as its disreputable characters. You're of course forced to converse with the latter in order to solve puzzles and progress its narrative—which underscores primitive living with themes of technological dependence.
Having played through the first few areas of the game, I at one stage found myself stealing money from a sleeping vagrant in order to afford sleep medicine for a different chap blocking my only route of progression. Later, I wound up taking on a short-lived job as a waitress at a riverside food van in order to obtain a key item. Throughout, you discover more about the world, its characters and how everything ties together.
Here's a gander at The Edgelands in motion:
As you can there, the game's soundtrack and art style is pretty out there too. But it suits.
The Edgelands is due May 9, 2017. More information can be found via its official site.
